The invention relates to a collapsible stand, especially for binders or other material, which are to be held in a convenient position for reading. Although below the device according to the invention is referred to as a binder stand, it should clearly be understood that the stand can be used for other purposes, e.g. for the storage or display of books, brochures, manuals, loose pages, and other substantially flat materials
U.S. Class: Class 248: which provides for devices which carry the weight of an article or articles against the pull of gravity/subclass 459: which provides for devices formed from a sheet or blank of cardboard or equivalent material, which can be bent and, which, when assembled, provides stable support for said article or articles.
Other stands made for binders are designed either to provide a portable writing stand, or they are combination ring binders and stands; in one instance, the stand is also an outer case for a ring binder. None of the stands turned up in a search of existing patents offer a simple, portable, inexpensive stand for binders. Some bookstands may also be capable of supporting a binder, and may be portable, but they must be carried independently of the binder and, consequently, take up more room and are not as convenient as the design in this patent application.
It is an object of the invention to provide a one-piece collapsible binder stand made of lightweight material by stamping or molding, and to arrange the structural members in such a way that heavy binders and books can be safely supported by a simple structure, which is easy and inexpensive to manufacture, and can be easily inserted in a ring binder for secure and convenient transportation.
The invention relates to a one-piece collapsible stand, especially for a binder, made of a suitable material by stamping or molding, the stand being foldable between an erected, operative configuration and a collapsed, inoperative configuration wherein all of its components are coplanar, and it can be easily inserted in a binder. The stand comprises a frame-like bottom plate having a front edge portion and a rear edge portion; a center leg having two sides and a free end and being connected to the front edge portion by an integral hinge; one side leg on each side of the center leg, each side leg having an inner side, and outer side, and a free end, and being connected to the rear portion by an integral hinge; latch notches on each side of the center leg adjacent the free end of each side leg; and two cover tabs for preventing the article to be supported from sliding off the stand, each cover tab having two sides, and an elliptical free end, and being connected to the front edge portion by an integral hinge; and two page tabs for holding the pages, each page tab having two sides, and an elliptical free end, and being connected to the front portion by an integral hinge; and circular openings aligned in parallel to a side of the frame-like bottom plate for the purpose of inserting the stand into the rings of a binder, like a loose-leaf page, to provide means for transporting the stand with a binder. All integral hinges have their pivotal axis formed by a line of reduced thickness of the material. The engaging sides of the legs are formed such that the latch notches interlock for fixing the legs in the erected, operative configuration.